Nima Earthcrest grew up with her family, The Earthcrests, with five other siblings. Her litter bore similiar names to her, and her parents were always busy, so Nima grew up with her sister, Tina, and the community around them. It wasn't long before they were doing work for the community and making a name for themselves. Nima was never the shining child, always being quiet and overlooked, but she and her sister fit in with the growing community just fine. Over time, through constant run-ins and fun, Nima even made a friend: Hadi Honestfellow.

One day, Hadi and Nima got a little too close to the Vitality Waters that ran below their home— waters embued with magic. Hadi was swept under the dark waves, and Nima caught in the drift. At such a young age, Nima struggled to keep herself and Hadi afloat, and were carried far downstream; too far for anyone to hear their cries. Thanks to Nima's inherent ability to hold her breath, she remained conscious once they drifted ashore... in a place Nima had never explored before: The Dreamweave. A maze of crystals and reflective surfaces, Nima dragged Hadi with her but quickly became lost in the maze. Desperate for help as Hadi choked on water, Nima found an unlikely savior in the dark: a nightwalker named Khyz. He seemed as though he was going to kill them at first, as nightwalkers usually do to wandering strangers, but he.. hesitated. Instead, the creature of shadow saved Hadi's life— saying he saw something in Nima. Flattered and thankful to be spared, Nima fled back home with Hadi's body— leaving the halfling ignorant to the entire ordeal.

That's how they remember it, at least.

From there, a blossoming relationship grew between Nima and Khyz. Upon returning to his isolated home, Nima offered him a friend in return for his kindness... and Khyz taught Nima how to harness their new gifts, the inherent magic granted from the waters bolstering Nima's knack for magic, and only furthering their potential with Khyz's teachings. Nima kept these lessons secret, and due to his infinite well of knowledge, magic and generousity, Nima vowed to grant him his one desire: to set him free. Once they grew strong enough, Khyz wouldn't be hidden from the world anymore, and everyone could praise Nima's mentor for making them such a powerful wizard.

After the ordeal with the Vitality Waters, Hadi also developed powers of his own— water sorcery. Where the halfling was baffled by his newfound powers, Nima helped him hone his skills— knowing his origins, and with secret methods bestowed on her by Khyz —the two became acclaimed by their village. With magic potential like the Ceare Kingdom hadn't seem in years, the town of Fungal Waters funded their collage tuitions. Due to their growing talents, the two friends were able to set their goals high for their arcane education: the newest university of Aquidus, Blackstar University in Amelie.

Upon getting to Blackstar University, Nima and Hadi were quick to learn they had to take an internship for field experience. They had to join a guild, in which the two became separated for the first time in years. Instead of working alongside her best friend, Nima was told she had to form a party to travel with. Her first recruit: Rue Whitelock, a harengon with a knack for disaster. Rue managed to destroy the new teleportation device for the guild's establishment, locking herself in a lot of debt— which she agreed to pay off via her work. Disgruntled by this addition to the party, the others to join ended up being a guard in training— Starling —and her first arrest: Canyon Goldglyph. Trusting only Starling's capabilities, Nima nervously left Hadi behind and plunged into the world adventuring.

Their first quest involved clearing out a haunted manor for a bird-man named Professior Stu Decious, where "the Paper Boys" cleared out the ghost— learning that souls were trapped when drained of magic. Gaining favor from Stu Decious, the group recieved a later favor (especially Nima, who made a good impression on the Professor) and continued to travel through the Feave Domain— specifically to the Painted Peaks. The party plunged into a confusing maze to find treasure and artifacts for Amelia Croft, and her mother's up and coming museum. Facing large wasps— which Starling made sure to protect Nima from, gaining even more respect from him —finding a hidden Feywild portal. With how many artifacts they managed to surmount, the party got a hefty tip and pushed back towards Amelie for rewards and... rats?

Rats gained sentience via the Vitality Waters, rising up from the ashes and claiming their rightful place in Aquidus. The Paperboys sought the Rat King, stealing his gravity wand and freeing the capital city of Amelie from the grips of sentient rodents. Canyon learned more about her people's advances on Aquidis, and fretted for the safety of Nima's hometown due to it's very foundations being made of the astral ore, a core resource for magical development. She evaded speaking to Nima about this, however, and persists with her secrets.

With many quests in mind, but a report to be made to officials about their discoveries, the party decided to go back to Nima's homeland in the Ceare Kingdom for the Sunshine Solstace; an annual event where the creatures of the caverns got to bathe in the sunlight of the surface. Thankful to visit somewhere so comfortable, Nima reunited with Hadi and managed to finally win the race to let the sun shine upon Sun Perch; a huge victory to be remembered by the entire community. Meanwhile, Canyon not only reported her suspicions about her homeland, Leo, to the Head Knight— Briar of the Horne —but also ran into some shady figures... Giving time for Starling to be left alone, finding figures known as the Star Chasers. All of these discoveries were left unannounced, and the party chose to remain in the Ceare Kingdom to delve into some ruins; Nima's favorite area of study.

The ruins of Lumira revealed dark waters, strange bioluminescent plants, and cursed lands. In the crumbling architecture, the party found evidence of a strange, outlawed phenomena where scientists used souls to power their magic. In taking this rich resource from civilians, they damned their souls to linger; unable to pass on into the afterlife, but granting mages unimaginable boosts to their arcana. Horrified by the idea of this information and blueprints for these machines falling into the wrong hands, Nima collected some for themself. Additionally, Rue discovered the city was cursed by the aftermath of a poorly made wish to save the city; dooming the naga protecting it to be cursed alongside it. The party managed to bring light to the city once more, illuminating it so it could be thoroughly explored once more. Nima made sure to report his discoveries to officials before heading back to Aquidis for their new claim at sponsorships for their party.

Getting a sponsorship from the Ceare Kingdom was easy enough upon returning to Aquidus, but the endeavour was interuptted by an unforseen and suspicious fourth client; an illegal sponsor. Starling agreed to talk to them alone, but against Starling's wishes, Nima followed through the eyes of her familiar, Bugs. Through eavesdropping on the conversation, Nima learned of Starling's true identity as a changeling, and her desire to help the illegal group due to them helping smuggle changelings out of the kingdom into safer homes. Shocked and slightly irritated at the betrayal, Nima returned to herself and provoked Starling into sharing the information with the rest of the party-- who all seemed accepting of the information. Nima also accepted it, only frustrated that it came out this way due to it endangering her scholarship.

Not everyone was as accepting of the news, however. Starling found herself outcast from her brother, Sparrow, upon revealing her true identity— the rejection nearly driving her away from the party altogether. They managed to keep Starling around, and to keep herself safe in case Sparrow turned her into the Horne government, Starling changed her form to the Southern Harengon, Castelle. It took some cover up to sign up their 'new member' Castelle in at the guild hall, but the party quickly set out before guards caught onto what actually happened to 'Starling'.

In the tourist town of Autumnveil, the Paperboys discovered that the missing cats of the town were actually being hoarded by a dragon in the woods named Gossamer, alongside her companion Saffron (otherwise known as Ronnie). The two took some convincing to return the cats home, only doing so for the cash prize, and Gossamer's desire for adventure. The friends were hiding in the woods from poachers who attempted to strike Gossamer down from the sky-- taking one of her legs in the process. Eager to get revenge on them, and drive them away before they could do more harm, the party drove out the poachers responsible. The party managed to convince Saffron's parents to let her go, and returned to Aquidus for their money and to add Saffron officially to their party.

In doing so no suspicion around Starling's disappearence linked directly to Castelle or Ronnie, but Nima was able to listen in on a private conversation and learn that Juwel Li hadn't let the mystery go; finding the sudden disappearance of a loyal Horne soldier quiet strange. Alas, the truth was hidden and instead a new truth was uncovered: the true nature of Rue's wish. In expanding her dreamscape horizons, Rue found a tree within the 'whitescape' she often went to in sleep. Through the roots of the tree she found others who had made wishes-- the first one being Lorelei Zieke, the Spiritual Advisor of the Feave Domain. Upon finding her in person during a meeting of the nations, Rue learned that her family was unable to say no to her due to her wishing for the "perfect family". Lorelei also revealed her wish was what brought upon the Day of Collapsing Skies, for she undid all the old wishes and reset the cycle with the Eye Goddess. But wishes are still being made, and the Goddess is not dead. Instead, her wish brought suffering and made her recycle the magic of all the lost wishes by granting them for the Goddess, too.

Rue swore to free her family and undo her wish, carrying the burden of the truth with her into a new chapter of regret.

Rue was quickly exposed to a new, dark mirror as the Paperboys persued their next venture into Reyner's Flats— a desolate and forgotten land. Nima was already begrudging to follow a quest tied to their lie of Canyon and Castelle being Southern Harengons, but upon learning her home was in danger, the wizard became quickly frustrated with all that the troublemaker "Byrum Jack" had to offer. He greeted the adventurers with a landslide, killing Nima's steed and breaking her arm in the chaos. The party was quick to learn that the leader of the Southern Harengon's Burrow, Rosetta Jack, wasn't only biased towards her brother, but a cultist. She was a devoted follower of the Eye Goddess, and out of a desire to keep the party from making wishes, all of them drove themselves away from the entire mess.

The quest was only completed by Castelle's willingness to talk to Rosetta, convincing the Harengon that in order to cure Byrum's boredom and keep him from lashing out, that they should move beyond this place. Byrum was protected to be completely safe from outside harm, and Rosetta owed that to the Goddess... who else could be saved? She took Castelle's advice with a spark of inspiration, striking out from the forgotten corners of the Flats out into the wilderness— eager to spread the ideals of her cult, and worship of the Eye Goddess; the very thing Nima hated.

Furious about the entire ordeal, Nima expressed their need to return home and that their uncle may be able to give them more information on how to lift Rue's wish. The party agreed to follow, delving back underground to the Cearne Republic, and the Underdark below...

After much time away from home, the party headed back to Nima's hometown, Fungal Waters, for a quest from their sponsors in the Ceare Kingdom. Eager to see Khyz again for more information on The Eye Goddess, and save her home from black waters, Nima swiftly learned from Rue that the infection seeping into the waters is actually Consumption. This brought fury to Nima's heart instantly, inspiring them to cure their town as fast as possible— a kingdom that had just welcomed the return of magic only to be immediately robbed of it? Nothing about it was fair.

With the help of Nima's younger siblings— Rookie, Brookie, Cookie, Mukie and Yuky —the party delved into the waters to find an infected monster. The creature immediately managed to brainwash Nima onto it's side for the entire battle by promising her the key to her dreams of being a powerful wizard, making her turn against her friends— specifically Canyon and Gossamer. Once defeated the Consumption exploded from the aboleth and the party was forced to flee towards the Dreamweave; Khyz's prison.

On the run there and at the entrance of the twisting maze of crystals, the party began to realize how little they knew of Nima's origins and so called "uncle". Dubious and afraid, they hesitantly followed Nima inside Dreamweave only prompted by the need to cure Rue and Castelle from becoming aboleths themselves. Within the crystal walls, the party stumbled upon a False Hydra, and were luckily rescued by Khyz's strength as he scared it away. He welcomed Nima and her friends into his make-shift home, fortelling the different party member's futures simply upon seeing them. With the collective attention and questions of Nima's party around him, Khyz offered to tell his story alongside helping cure Rue and Castelle... as long as they did something for him in return. With some hesitance they agreed, and Khyz revealed his desire to get his crown back.

The previous King of the Underdark, Khyz was banished into his prison after Copper Earthcrest— Nima's ancestor —made the wish in Lumira to 'save his city, no matter the cost'. The creatures of the Underdark that Khyz ruled over were banished, saving Lumira from the oncoming war between themself and the Underdark; but it was unable to fully expell Khyz himself. Being a creature of the Shadowfell here out of boredom and promise, Khyz was instead trapped... isolated from his castle, his people, and his main source of power: his crown. It was told to be located within the castle somewhere deeper in the Underdark, and with magic being restored and wishes broken, the creatures returning to the Underdark need their ruler back. Nima agreed without question, eager to fulfill her wish to set him free once and for all... but her other party members seemed skeptical at best.

Feeling estranged from them, Nima took some time to talk to Khyz privately after they explained his story— seeking answers on two things: why had Khyz spared her despite being an Earthcrest, and why was that False Hydra familiar? Nima learned that she used to have another, true best friend; Hadi's sister, Rosemary Honestfellow. The memory of her, and all around her death was taken when the false hydra ate her. Due to witnessing the tragedy, as well as Nima's promise to be something better than her legacy, Khyz chose to spare her. Thankful for the mercy, and further in debt to her mentor, Nima swore to wipe Lumira clean with Khyz so that their dark soul magic would be forgotten forever.

The trip to Lumira from the Dreamweave was treacherous, nearly claiming Castelle's life as a wyrm attempted to eat her, and the party was chased by mindflayers after destroying their spawnpool. Luckily, they stumbled into the old researchers from before, who lead them to the now prospering city of Lumira; an icon of progress and magic. Saffron uncovered the dark truth revolving around soul draining being used again, while Rue had tea with the naga she saved before. Nima and Canyon learned of the location of Khyz's castle, confirming the crown to be within the basement, and the presence of Copper Earthcrest's ghost warned them to leave. Nima ignored the pleas, instead learning from Saffron and Gossamer of the magic being used here again... simply a fuel to their fire of hatred for Lumira.

Before they could sleep on it and prepare for the journey to the Underdark, however, the party was attacked in the night by mindflayers, and must flee the city of Lumira before being turned into mindflayers themselves.